Half Life: Survival
by Hiho216
Summary: The story of a man struggling to survive among the Combine inhabited world. I know you're there! I've received 19 hits since chapter two, yet I have gotten no reviews! Chapter 3 is ready but I want one more review to post it
1. Entry

The dim light showed the fear lingering on everyone's face. If it weren't for the holes in the side of the semi everyone could linger in their own terror but the other faces brought you into a thought that you were more alone than ever before. No one made eye contact. No one said a word.

The ride was not comfortable. The 30 people cramped into the 25 by 8 foot space did not leave much room. However the reason was worth it. We were running from the Combine to freedom. Never again would we take the abuse we had to face daily, or so we believed. We were a diverse bunch from many countries yet we were members of one nation. We were strangers but siblings all the same.

The holes in the truck revealed nothing but the flickering light of a tunnel, signaling that we were almost there. The excitement bubbled inside me but I kept silent. Everyone kept silent. The truck stopped and the back opened.

"You got a lot this run," A woman said, "good last group." She grabbed the man nearest to the door's hand and pulled him out of the truck. "Welcome to Black Mesa East."

Black Mesa. That accursed place is where I would spend permanent residence. The irony of the situation was too great to handle. You see, Black Mesa is why we have the Combine. At that, no this accursed place the aliens came. Spread like a plague and forced earth to its knees. Now hundreds of zombie-like things roam the streets of the old cities controlled by aliens we have nicknamed "head crabs" due to their size and look.

I was pulled from the truck and received the greeting those before had also received.

"The scanning room is just at the end of the tunnel. Just follow the others." The woman said. I just rubbed my brown eyes and walked down the tunnel. As I opened the door I wondered if it was worth it. All the trouble caused here. Who knows if trouble would come back? How long will I live? I realized that I had not let go any of my old fear. It would be there to haunt me and torment my dreams.

I walked through the airlock they called a door and waited to be examined. A small security pad sat on a wall at the other side of the room. I walked up to it and looked into the black screen. Suddenly it flickered into life and an old woman looked at me and smiled.

"Hello my name is Anna. Welcome to Black Mesa. Can you tell me your name?" The woman said in a sincerely sweet voice, "or do you want to wait?"

I stood silently for a second and asked fearfully, "are they gone?" My childish fear showed on my face.

"I'm sorry, I'm not sure if I understand you. Can you explain what you just said?" She said ignoring the fearful look on my face. I was embarrassed. At 43 such a childlike fear is not a common thing.

"Did you get rid of the aliens?" My voice had an almost whiney feel to it. I knew it was a silly thought. They wouldn't bring me here if there were still head crabs crawling around.

"Yes. This place is alien free. In fact we have never had an alien here," the woman said in a motherly voice.

I knew this to be a lie. "Bullshit," I said forcefully, keeping the trace of that whine.

She smiled widely despite my vulgarity and said, "I think you have us mistaken with Black Mesa West. That us where the aliens originated from. You're safe here."

I smiled and told her my name and told her that before the invasion I programmed a computer as if that would help anymore. She just told me I could go in now. I walked down a brightly corridor to the address that would now serve as my home.

As I pulled open the door I was greeted by an unsuspected roommate. He was an American and was listening to what was probably rock and roll. I looked up and around the room and saw a bare but comfortable room with a couple doors on either side. I returned the Americans greeting and headed to the room marked "Beds". Although there were about 5 other occupied beds but it didn't matter to me. I was too tired to care.


	2. Without a flashlight

The peace did not last long. Before I knew it the alarms were sounding and the ricochets of bullets were filling the halls.

"Scanner! Run to the teleporter!" A scientist shouted. In the background a man's voice told us to be calm, but no one was going to listen. The unstoppable momentum of the panic rolled the ability to be calm out of every man, woman and child. The bottomless dread already consuming all of our sanity.

I sprinted to the teleporter room that I had been shown the other day. I never thought I would have to use it. The hall was full but that wouldn't stop me from survival. I did what I could, things I have no come to regret but I made it. Where I was going, I don't think anyone knew.

I soon found myself in a dark room. I could barely see my own hand in front of my face let alone the corpses accounting for the stench. As far as I could tell the room had no windows and a shut door. I fumbled around for what felt like hours and found a light switch. I did not like what I saw. Strewn about the room were the bodies of several mutilated humans and one woman who lay against the door apparently trying to keep the door shut. Her cause of death was obvious. A bullet to the head to ease her miseries, as her gun lay still in her hand. I did what any survival crazy man would do. I took the gun.

I listened for a short amount of time. The absolute silence was as chilling as it was comforting. I pushed the body away and pulled the door ajar just enough so I could see outside. Immediately a zombie pressed itself against the door. In terror I shot at it hoping to maybe bring it down but no luck. The hulking beast just moved closer and closer reaching it long claws out to me. I cried as I shot. I knew that my life was to end and that the pain I had gone through would amount to nothing.

By pure luck one of my random shots had found itself onto the parasite bringing its life to an end. I breathed hard as I stomped hard on the dead crab loosing its entrails across the floor. As I calmed down I looked upon the body that once served as the host for this vicious parasite. It's head had been whittled down to nothing more than a bloody representation of a face and the ripped jacket revealed a huge cut down the body entire upper body. Was this my destiny? Was I going to become such an abomination? If it was in my power to avoid such a thing it would be so. I would not be killed by anything, not a headcrab, not civil services, nothing would stop my survival. But the true issue was now.

The calm did not last long as other zombies soon started bashing up against the front door of the building. I knew what I had to do. There was no way I could ever shoot through the zombies with 4 bullets left so I had to jump out of one of the few windows the building provided into what surely would be a terrifying experience. I could see nothing. Just like room I had just a while ago exited from it was pitch black and I was without a flashlight.

Besides the outline of the monolithic buildings around me all there was to see was a fire in the distance. Curiosity overtook me as I found myself walking closer and closer to it. As I approached the fire I saw a woman sitting on a bench calmly smoking. She was wearing a white lab coat and at her feet was an orange suit of some sort.

She looked over at me with little emotion and said, "Take it."

I was confused. She gave no implication to what "it" is. She quickly threw away her cigarette and grew a face of rage. She screamed those two words again as she stood and drew a knife. On instinct I pulled out my pistol and took aim.

"I don't want to hurt you," I shouted crying, "We can work together!"

No luck. She charged at me and I was forced to let loose a single but fatal bullet. Her neck exploded in blood and she let out one last scream. I got near and searched her pockets, finding nothing but a wallet. I looked through it too make sure that I didn't kill anyone of importance but was in luck as I didn't recognize the name on her business card. The only other identification I could find was a scratched up card saying "-l-ck M-sa Lambd- Di-io- Dr. Gina Cr-"

I tossed away the card and took her knife as I found to my delight several clips for the same model pistol I was using. I was sleepy. I actively resisted the urge to rest but I quickly succumbed. I knew not what would happen when I awoke but a night's sleep was all I truly needed.


End file.
